Spherical particles have been conventionally compounded to form, among others, makeup preparations (e.g., makeup foundations, makeup powders, cheek colors, and eye shadows), external preparations for body (e.g., body powders and baby powders), and lotion preparations (e.g., pre-shave lotions and body lotions) to improve their spreadability and feel on the skin and impart to them a soft-focus property that makes, for example, skin pores, colored skin spots, and wrinkles less visually recognizable.
As an example, Patent Document 1 discloses a cosmetic preparation obtained by compounding silica powder, a carboxyvinyl polymer, and an oil material. The silica powder contained in the cosmetic preparation disclosed in Patent Document 1 is spherical and readily irregularly reflects (diffuses) light. Compounding this silica powder into the cosmetic preparation imparts a soft-focus property to the cosmetic preparation. The silica powder, also possessing an oil absorbing property, absorbs sebum secreted from the skin to restrain the cosmetic preparation from smearing due to sebum being mixed with, for example, oils and active agents in the cosmetic preparation.
Patent Document 2 discloses a cosmetic preparation obtained by compounding spherical porous powder having a particle diameter of 1 μm to 40 μm and an average particle diameter of 2 μm to 20 μm. The spherical porous powder compounded into a cosmetic preparation disclosed in Patent Document 2, likewise possessing an oil absorbing property, restrains the cosmetic preparation, especially, a makeup preparation, from smearing.
Patent Document 3 discloses a particulate solid cosmetic preparation containing spherical poly(meth)acrylate particles that have hollow pores both inside and on their surfaces. The spherical poly(meth)acrylate particles have an average particle diameter of 3 μm to 20 μm, a specific surface area of 80 m2/g to 180 m2/g, and a most frequent pore diameter of 180 Å or larger. The spherical poly(meth)acrylate particles disclosed in Patent Document 2, likewise possessing an oil absorbing property, restrain a cosmetic preparation from smearing similarly to the spherical porous powder disclosed in Patent Document 3. In addition, the spherical poly(meth)acrylate particles readily irregularly reflect light. Compounding the spherical poly(meth)acrylate particles into the cosmetic preparation imparts a soft-focus property to the cosmetic preparation.